lowth and thomas j



M. F. LOWTH m. J. HOWE.

Grain Drill.

No 82,853. D Patented Oct. 6, 1868.

ww I Imam/507v Mamgotten tetra iatrnt @ffi M. F. LOWTH AN-D THOMAS J. ows, 0F OWATONNA, ;MINNESOTA.

' Letters Patent No. 82,853, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILLS.

.TO ALL WHOM IT MAY oononRN:

Be it known that we, M.-F. Low'rn and Tnoams J. Hows, of Owatonna, in the county of Steele, and State ofMinnesota, have in-vented a new and useful Improvcment'in Grain-Drills; and we do hereby declare that the I following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section. Figure 2 is a top view. v v This invention has for its object to furnish a simple, cheap, and durable apparatus forregulating the feed of grain-drills, so that they can be adjusted to feed'one, two, three, four, 8m, bushels to the acre, and so constructed and operating that the device can be perfectly regulated, and, when necessary, its parts can be taken apart and put together again without difficulty, in the field or elsewhere.

. In the drawings, A A are the draught-wheels; B, the frame; C, the draught-pole; and D, the lower portion of the seed-box or hopper. The wheels run on short axles, E F; the former, E, being simply a fixed or deadspindle, projecting from the near side of the frame, and bearing the wheel A, which runs loosely upon it;

the latter, F, being a rotating axle fixed to the wheel A, andextending in nearly tdhthecentre of. the machine G is a square shaft, extending across within the limits of the frame B, one end of it being above, and the whole parallel to the axle F. The shaft is so hung in its bearings, that it can he slid longitudinally to the right or left. When the drill is in operation, the shaft is caused to revolve by means of a pinion, through which it passes, and which receives and communicates motion from a spur-wheel attached to the axle'F, under it. I is simply a slotted plate, which prevents the pinion- H from changing its position, as the shaft is moved'back and forth. 4

J is a removable bearing, capable of being slid upon the shaft G, and fixed in any required position, by means of a key, It. It is cylindrical in shape, and is provided at one end with a circular disk or head. -Its object is to furnish a smooth bearing-surface for the sleeve L to run upon. The latter is a spool-shapethhollow cylinder, fitting loosely upon the bearing J, and capable of being slid longitudinally upon said hearing, by means of a lover, K.. M is another cylinder, through which the shaft G extends, and which, like the parts J and H, is capable of sliding lengthwise upon the shaft, independently of the latter, but is not capableof rotating independently of it. In its outer surface, which closely fits under the hopper D, forming the bottom of the latter, a series of longitudinal grooves or depressions, m m, is out, which receive the seed from the hopper, and distribute it along the drill or fnrrow at the proper intervals. The depressions are of such a length, and

the shaft G, with the cylinder M upon it, is capable of sliding back and forth to such adegree, that the whole extent of the dep'ressions can be brought under the mouth of the hopper, so as to feed ve ry fast, or can be entirely removed from under such month, so as not to feed at all. i p

The several parts being thus constructed, to put them together for practical operation, we remove the hopper,

:put the pinion H in its place in' the slot of plate I, and pass the right-hand end of shaft G through it. We then slip the bearing J upon the shaft, and the sleeve L upon the bearing. After this, we'slide the oylinderM on, in

the same manner, and fasten it'upon'the shaft by means of a pin-,p, nut and washer, orother equivalent. The

sleeve L, and its bearing J, are then to be slid along towards the cylinder M, till they bear against it lightly,

and are to he confined in that position by the key k, as before explained. The lever K is then to be attached, as shown in the drawings, its rear end being bent down and entering a hole drilled for the purpose in the sleeve.

The forward end of the lever rests upon a graduated plate, N, fixed to the frame, and on which the lever points to the number of bushels, 8150., per acre that the drill is feeding. The lever can be fastened in any required position, by means of a clamp, 0, attached to its end by a'set-screw, and operating against the under side of the graduated plate. 1 V 1 y The shaft G may be made square, triangular, or in any other shape that will admit of its holding firmly the 'parts H, J, and M, so as to rotate them with itself, while yeta'llowingthem to be slid along longitudinally upon it. Froni what has already been said, it will be understood, by a. glance atthe drawings, that by moving the.

forward end of the lever back and forth over the figures'l, 2, 3, $50., on the plate N, the shaft G, with the parts J, L, and M, will be moved longitudinally, so as to bring the depressions m m under the hopper to any required extent, whereby the feed can be perfectly adjusted and controlled,

The whole mechanism is exceedingly sin ple, strong, cheap, and durable. Each part can be cast so that,

with but little finishing, all will go together ready for practical operation in the field.

Having thus described our inventiou',:what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The device, consisting essentiallylof the shaft G, pinion H, bearing J, sleeve L, and cylinder M, having the grooves m m, when constructed and operating together, as described, and in connection with a driving-shaft, F, seed-hopper D, and a lever, K, for 'rneving the shaft back and forth, substantially as described.

2. The .combination'of the graduated plate N, index-lever K, and clamp 0, for confining the leverat any point of the plate, whenemployed in connection vith the apparatus above described, and for the purpose set forth.

To the above specification of our inventiomwe have signed our hands, this seventh day of August, 1868.

' v M. F. LOWTH.

' THOS. J. HOWE.

Witnesses:

ISAAC Hows, LEWIS L. WHEELOCK. 

